Container and cover therefor

ABSTRACT

A cover and container combination with the container having upstanding sidewalls terminating at an upper edge portion. The cover has a groove formed in the bottom face thereof which is adapted to receive the upper edge portion of the container sidewall. The cover further includes a panel portion, a centrally located button portion and a hinge portion connecting the button portion to the panel portion. The button portion is biased upwardly by the inherent resiliency of the cover material. To install the cover it is first pressed onto the container with the sidewall edge fully inserted into the groove on the cover. The button portion of the cover is depressed causing a slight increase in pressure on the inside of the container. The cover is then cracked open slightly with the button portion depressed to allow the pressure inside and out to be equalized. The cracked open portion is then closed with the button depressed. The button portion is then released to allow it to spring back to its original position because of the inherent resiliency of the cover material. The upward movement of the button portion will cause a slight increase in the internal volume of the container which in turn will cause a slight decrease in the pressure inside the container. This pressure differential will tend to force the cover into its installed position to thereby provide a reasonably tight hermetic seal between the cover and container.

United States Patent 91 Douglas 1 March 6, 1973 [54] CONTAINER AND COVERTHEREFQR [76] Inventor: David Douglas, 1119 Lincoln Ave,

Manitowoc, Wis.

[22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 76,658

[52] US. Cl. ..220/42 C, ISO/0.5, 220/60 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 41/00[58] Field of Search..220/60 R, 60 A, 24 R, DIG. 19,

220/42 C, 42 D, 42 E; ISO/0.5

Primary Examiner.l0seph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-James R. GarrettAttorney-john Michael, Gerrit D. Foster, Bayard H. Michael, Paul R.Puerner, Joseph A. Gemignani, Andrew 0. Riteris and Spencer B. Michael 57 ABSTRACT A cover and container combination with the container havingupstanding sidewalls terminating at an upper edge portion. The cover hasa groove formed in the bottom face thereof which is adapted to receivethe upper edge portion of the container sidewall. The cover furtherincludes a panel portion, a centrally located button portion and a hingeportion connecting the button portion to the panel portion. The buttonportion is biased upwardly by the inherent resiliency of the covermaterial. To install the cover it is first pressed onto the containerwith the sidewall edge fully inserted into the groove on the cover. Thebutton portion of the cover is depressed causing a slight increase inpressure on the inside of the container. The cover is then cracked openslightly with the button portion depressed to allow the pressure insideand out to be equalized. The cracked open portion is then closed withthe button depressed. The button portion is then released to allow it tospring back to its original position because of the inherent resiliencyof the cover material. The upward movement of the button portion willcause a slight increase in the internal volume of the container which inturn will cause a slight decrease in the pressure inside the container.This pressure differential will tend to force the cover into itsinstalled position to thereby provide a reasonably tight hermetic sealbetween the cover and container.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures CONTAINER AND COVER THEREFOR BACKGROUND OFINVENTION This invention relates to a container and cover combinationwherein the cover, when installed, will provide a reasonably tight sealbetween the parts. The principal object of the combination is to providesuch a sealed container arrangement which is simple in construction andcan be easily manipulated by the user.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The combination of a container and cover with thecontainer having an upstanding sidewall portion terminating at an upperedge portion. The cover member has a groove formed therein adapted toreceive the upper edge portion of the container sidewall. The coverfurther includes a panel portion, a centrally located button portion anda hinge portion connecting the button portion to the panel portion, allof which portions are formed integrally with each other. The buttonportion is adapted to be flexed downwardly when pressure is exerted onthe top thereof and it is further adapted to return to its undepressedposition when pressure thereon is relieved.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container andcover member embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the cover andcontainer in disassembled position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the cover and containerin an intermediate position the parts assume during the installation ofthe cover on the container; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cover and container inassembled position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The cover and container of thisinvention may be made from any suitable plastic material. The containeris provided with upstanding walls 12 which, adjacent their top,gradually increase in radial thickness toward their uppermost edge to aslightly greater wall thickness at their upper edges as shown by thereference numeral 14. The cover member 16 is provided with a circulargroove 18 on the lower peripheral face thereof which groove is adaptedto receive the upper edge 14 of the container. In the preferredembodiment the groove 18 is formed by means of offset wall portions 20,22, 24, 26 and a depending outer wall portion 28, all of which are ofsubstantially the same thickness. A horizontally extending flange 30 isprovided around the periphery of wall 28 to facilitate handling of thecover member during its installation and removal from the container.

The top panel 32 of the cover is provided with a central button portion34 which is formed integrally with the panel 32 and connected thereto bya circular hinge portion 36 having a wall thickness somewhat less thanthe wall thickness of the panel and button portions 32 and 34. Covermember 16 is also provided with a tab member 38 the purpose of whichwill be explained hereinafter.

The cover panel 32, button portion 34 and hinge portion 36 are soconstructed that the inherent resiliency of the material tends to forcethe button Ipprtion 34 to its upper position like that shown In F S. 2and 4 should it be depressed to the position shown in FIG. 3.

The steps of installing the cover 16 to its sealed position on thecontainer 10 are as follows:

The cover is first pressed onto the container whereby top edge 14 of thecontainer is fully inserted into the groove 18 in the cover. The buttonportion 34 of the cover member is then depressed which is easilyaccomplished by pressing thereon with the thumb. The depression of thebutton portion 34 will create a slight increase in pressure on theinside of the container.

The next step is to crack open the cover with the button depressed whichstep is shown in FIG. 3. To facilitate the cracking open of the cover, atab member 38 is provided. With the cover in the FIG. 3 position thepressure on the inside and outside of the container will be equalized.The next step is to press the tab 38 downwardly causing the cracked openportion to be fully reinstalled which step is performed with the buttonportion still in its depressed position.

The final step is to release the button portion 34 with the cover fullyinstalled. The button portion, when released, will move to its originalposition because of the inherent resiliency of the material tending toforce it upwardly. This upward movement of button portion 34 will causea slight increase in the internal volume of the container which in turnwill cause a slight decrease in the pressure inside the container. Theresultant pressure differential wherein the pressure on the outside isslightly greater than the pressure on the inside will act to force thecover into its sealed position to thereby provide a reasonably tighthermetic seal between the cover and container.

I claim:

1. The combination of a container and cover therefor comprising:

a container having an upstanding sidewall portion terminating at anupper edge portion, said upstanding sidewall portion graduallyincreasing in radial thickness toward its uppermost edge to provide anincreased wall thickness at the upper edge thereof;

a cover member for said container having a groove formed therein adaptedto receive and generally conform to the thickened upper edge portion ofsaid container sidewall portion, said cover member further including apanel portion, a centrally located button portion and an annular hingeportionconnecting said button portion to said panel portion, said panelportion, button portion and hinge portion all formed integrally witheach other, said hinge portion having a wall thickness slightly lessthan the wall thickness of said panel and button portions, said buttonportion adapted to be flexed downwardly when pressure is exerted on thetop thereof and further adapted to return to its undepressed positionwhen pressure thereon is relieved because of the inherent resiliency ofsaid face portion; and

a tab member extending generally outwardly from the exterior surface ofthe outer wall of the said groove of said cover member.

1. The combination of a container and cover therefor comprising: acontainer having an upstanding sidewall portion terminating at an upperedge portion, said upstanding sidewall portion gradually increasing inradial thickness toward its uppermost edge to provide an increased wallthickness at the upper edge thereof; a cover member for said containerhaving a groove formed therein adapted to receive and generally conformto the thickened upper edge portion of said container sidewall portion,said cover member further including a panel portion, a centrally locatedbutton portion and an annular hinge portion connecting said buttonportion to said panel portion, said panel portion, button portion andhinge portion all formed integrally with each other, said hinge portionhaving a wall thickness slightly less than the wall thickness of saidpaneL and button portions, said button portion adapted to be flexeddownwardly when pressure is exerted on the top thereof and furtheradapted to return to its undepressed position when pressure thereon isrelieved because of the inherent resiliency of said face portion; and atab member extending generally outwardly from the exterior surface ofthe outer wall of the said groove of said cover member.